Imaginary
by yume girl 91
Summary: COMPLETE! What happens when victory was all an illusion? How can you tell what is real and what is just imaginary? UlquiRuki. Give it a read!
1. Imaginary

Imaginary: existing only in the imagination, unreal, fanciful.

~~~*~~~

She never had thought of herself as being a fanciful person. Her mind was sound, her reasoning justified, her strength average. The sword she carried was claimed by everyone to be the most beautiful in all of Seireitei. Surely the beauty of Sode no Shirayuki was encompassed by her wielder...yet Rukia never thought so. No one had ever told her in so plain words as _he; that she was beautiful._

He had been her enemy for Gods sakes!

Not even someone whom she could ever have anything with...but then, she'd think back to that day. To that single encounter foremost in her mind: _A cool autumn wind blew, whipping the singular colors of black and white, silhouetting them against a backdrop of a lake. The war had ended and time had trickled by, Ichigo had gone back to his normal routine, worrying about school and being a deputy Soul reaper. That day, a report had come in of a medium to low spiritual pressure east of Tokyo, near the base of Mount Fuji._

_Thinking she'd help him out, she left her Gigai behind and Shunpo-ed to the area. Crystalline water glistened blue, the depths unreachable. Captivated, Rukia hadn't noticed him approach. Cold eyes appraised her and then raising her head, she saw him. Standing not five feet away, dressed much as he'd always been in a white jacket, coattails fluttering out and hakama tied by a black sash._

_Quickly she withdrew Sode no Shirayuki, her mind assessing the situation. he hadn't moved, threateningly or otherwise. He simply stared at her with those large green eyes, animal like intelligence reflected in them. Rukia turned her sword counter clockwise, whispering the command, "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki." His expression didn't change as her blade became white and a ribbon curled outward_.

_"Dance number one, Tsuki--"_

_"I see I was mistaken in my assessments before. You are quite beautiful to be living among the trash."_

_"Wha--?!" her jaw fell open, her violet eyes widening in shock. _

_The green-eyed Espada cocked his head at her, something resembling a faint smile curling his dark upper lip. Ridiculously she felt herself starting to blush, Shirayuki's blade going lax in her hands. Ulquiorra slipped one hand from his pocket, half-turning away, "you will be mine."_

~~~*~~~

He'd disappeared then. And now she convinced herself, it had all been a dream. Imaginary, unreal. The product of a stressed mind and too much sun. So she told herself. Her eyes scanned hurriedly down the reports of spiritual pressure in the world of the living, retrieved from the Research and Development Department. She alighted on the ones for that day...

The paper fluttered to the floor, her mind going numb. For there in black and white was the mark of two pressures recorded at the lake near Mount Fuji, hers and _someone else's_...

~~~Finis~~~

A/N: Don't own Bleach :P reviews are appreciated :) goodnight.


	2. Reality

Reality: the quality or fact of being real; that which is _real._

~~~*~~~

A quality of that which in truth has basis in fact was what she contemplated later on. Certainly most running rampant imaginations such as hers, did not include these types of hallucinatory visions! Soul society forbid!

Rukia paused in staring into the bathroom mirror. Oval and long, its length encompassed a great deal of space over the plain single faucet sink. Her eyes were dull, the darkened circles in the pale skin shone like bruises beneath the usually soft light of four molten wax tapers placed altar like in the small room. She absently reached up and brushed aside her side locks, revealing tiny earlobes bereft of piercings. She sighed, her chest heaved in, rustling her white clad breast.

The sliding door which was behind her, slid open soundlessly. Her eyes that had closed in exhaustion now flew open, gaping uncomprehendingly at the face staring back in the mirror's reflection. Eternal uninterest in the world that surrounded him was displayed in the former Cuatro's empty eyes.

Rukia's hands gripped the edge of the sink; _oh Gods…she was defenseless_. _Shirayuki was sheathed and in her stand. She wouldn't be able to protect herself if he so chose to attack_. _Yet_, she had to wonder, _how on earth did he get inside Seireitei? Let alone to the Thirteenth Division's barracks_? _And why wasn't anyone raising the alarm bells? Surely the Research Division would have sensed the disturbance in the usual reiatsu laced atmosphere…right_?

Though, come to think of it. She herself couldn't sense even the slightest amount of the power held by members of the Espada. Was he really just in her imagination?

"You are frightened of me," he stated suddenly, plainly.

She couldn't stop the tremor that shook her body as she at the same time vehemently denied his accusation, "no. Why should I be? You're just a figment of my imagination!" So saying this, her fear, palpable on her lips, fled and in its place angry indignation at this dream in which she found herself in increased. _Her mind had conveniently forgotten the report from the Research and Development Division_.

"I am…in your imagination?" he said slowly, as if trying by repeating her words to understand a deeper meaning behind them. Rukia nodded, dropping her head relieved onto her chest. _She couldn't believe she was actually having this conversation in her dreams_! She wondered what Ichigo would think of it…

The fabric of her kimono shifted slightly, as if a weight had been placed on it. Her head lifted slowly. "Can imagination do this?" Turning slightly, she found him exactly standing behind her, sharp green eyes staring into her own. A pale white hand studded with black fingernails reposed on her shoulder, immediately she recoiled, a reflexive gesture simply because he was repulsive to her.

Ulquiorra's expression darkened, how she could tell since his features remained the same, was a mystery. However, it was quite clear he was not pleased. _Had she just rejected him_? Frowning and stepping under his lax hand, she decided most definitely that she had, that is, rejected him. If one could reject an already dead Arrancar in one's dreams…

"Stop."

His voice halted her progress, inches from sliding the door open. Deliberately she pivoted back around to face him, "why should I? You're nothing but an illus—"

His lips closed over hers, his hands captured the wrists that had crept up defensively to push him away. He forced her against the sliding door, the sharp frame stabbing her side, her soft hiss allowed his darting tongue entry. Shock filled her mind while helplessly she found herself responding to him. She pushed her palms back against the coldness of his, dropping them onto the firm, unyielding chest, the fabric coarse, over her wandering fingertips.

_Wrong._

_This is_…

His coal black hair was soft despite her anticipation of it being not. She curved her palm upward over the base of his partial horn helmet, her head tilted back as his mouth left hers to graze her cheekbone. For seconds he'd pause on a certain spot, letting his lips press a gentle kiss onto her porcelain skin. Her eyes closed in forbidden ecstasy; this didn't feel so wrong. His touch, she discovered, wasn't repulsive at all. In fact it made her feel--

_Heaven_.

"Rukia!!!" a pounding on the outer door to her room halted Ulquiorra's descent to her throat. Her eyes snapped open, realizing in shameful horror what she had been allowing. The former Cuatro stepped away, the green of his eyes vanishing as his lids fluttered shut.

"Goodbye for now, Kuchiki Rukia."

She watched in astonishment as he disappeared.

The sliding door behind her rattled with the vehemence of the death Strawberry trying to open it; "Rukia! Didn't you hear me—" the orange-haired Shinigami deputy said bossily upon gaining entry. Her dazed look met his wide-eyed one and both friends stared at one another for the longest time.

"Did you come to tell me something?" she finally managed to ask.

His amber eyes left hers and glanced ahead into the mirror, "yeah. Urahara said there have been sightings of an Arrancar in Karakura recently again. And guess who it is—Ulquiorra! That bastard…I'd have sworn I killed him…"

Rukia didn't hear the rest of Ichigo's muttered oaths for now she felt a real chill sweep through her body: _he still lived…_

~*~

A/N: here's the CH.2 as promised :) cliffie, no? Though, depending on the response I get I may just take this part down. Cheers and please review!


	3. Illusion

Illusion: a false idea or conception; belief or opinion not in accord with the facts. A false perception, conception or interpretation of _what one sees_.

~~~*~~~

It wasn't so surprising that in light of the recent events, Ichigo had relayed the gist of which to Rukia, that a meeting of the Captains with assistant Captains attending in place of the three dead traitors, was called to order. Renji had taken up fifth Division's spot while Hinamori recovered from the mental strain of the news of her beloved ex Captain's death. Hitsugaya of tenth could only hope for her immediate recovery.

"Captains," the Soutaichou addressed the two lines of men and women standing facing one another. Rukia stood where Renji had, at the side of Byakuya. As much as the Kuchiki Noble disliked the thought of his sister in a more dangerous position then with Thirteenth, he had been pressured from other quarters to accept her new appointment seeing as her skills in the war had proved her worthy. He scowled even now at the address of: "Lieutenants." She straightened her posture, all the while feeling his slight, disapproving gaze on her.

"This meeting has been called to order as the result of some disturbing reports made to us from certain quarters within the world of the living. In two separate instances, Arrancars thought deceased had been seen on rooftops watching the humans. When tried to engage these anomalies in battle, they turn flight in one report or…_simply disappear_." Sharp eyes watched the stoic gathering from beneath wrinkled lids. Rukia suppressed the tremor that passed through her at the last part of the sentence.

The Soutaichou noticed the uncomfortable sensation enveloping the newest appointed Lieutenant. _Perhaps this news upset her? Of no doubt_, the wise old Captain turned a little to survey the former Ryoka-now ally, the boy's jaw was clenched and he seemed impatiently ready to pronounce his opinion of the matter at any moment.

"Your thoughts on the matter, Kurosaki?" Yamamoto politely questioned. After all it was the boy's hometown that the Arrancars had centered their attacks on before and now seemed to be doing so again. "I—" he started out, "—I can swear to all of you now. The Cuatro Espada died by my hand in Las Noches Palace."

"You cannot," Soi Fong turned steely eyes to him, "rightly claim that. His body turned to ash, you said so yourself." Kurosaki opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to find away to counter the Second Division Captain's words.

"But he did!" the boy finally exclaimed, his eyes flashing, he gestured wildly to Hitsugaya, "'Shiro defeated the Tercera Espada, Halibel. And where is the proof of that?!"

"There were witnesses." Soi Fong enunciated carefully and allowed a smile to creep onto her face.

"Witnesses? Orihime and Uryu were there! They were there when I killed him! Ask them, they'll—"

"Kurosaki…" Byakuya said threateningly, for by now he was all but shouting. Rukia sent him a warning look when he looked about ready to round on her brother.

"But it's—"

"Your friends may have been tricked." Yamamoto said calmly, sensing the rising torpor of the boy's emotions near to getting the best of him. "What?" Kurosaki blinked, realization stealing over him. "You're saying that…what we saw was—"

"An illusion. Nothing more." The Soutaichou folded his hands upon his cane, hearing the intakes of breath from the startled occupants of the room. "I believe we may all have been disillusioned. The victory we thought we had won is proved worthless by the sightings of the Tercera and Cuatro Espadas. Captain Soi Fong."

The slender woman looked up sharply.

"Please call in your Ritei-tai agents."

"Yes." A piercing whistle erupted from her lips and then in response, the sliding doors opened. Heads swiveled automatically to stare at the newcomers, dressed in black from top-to-bottom, faces hidden by cloth masks, these were the Soul society's special ops, once under the command of Yoruichi Shihoin.

A thin man and tall woman advanced in, eyes were focused straight ahead, backs ramrod straight, walk dignified. The Captains were silent at their approach; even Kurosaki was remarkably subdued. Only once and though nobody caught it, the man turned a little and looked past his stoic companion, when passing Byakuya Kuchiki and his Lieutenant.

~~~*~~~

Rukia had seen the special ops troops once or twice before in the delivering of important messages to her old Captain. Never once had she seen them break from an emotionless routine. The two figures strode past her; her eyes were slightly averted to the side as she peered up the line to Ichigo. Her mind had gone through the bittersweet declaration of her appointment to Byakuya's Division. Ichigo had himself given her that bit of news after the urgency of the sightings of the previously thought dead Espada. She was to take Renji's place in the office and stand beside her brother during a meeting like this one where the Lieutenants had been summoned also.

But she couldn't help but sense the fraction of unexpected movement from one of the Ritei-tai agents: the man, his wrapped head cocked toward her and her brother instead of in straight poise. She felt the slight weight of a brief stare on her and glanced back, catching the faintest of flickers from eyes that reflected something akin to secret knowing and a deep color of brilliant emerald green.

Her sudden held-in gasp burned her throat.

The next second, those eyes were brown and they were not looking at her at all.

_What…no…she had been imagining things_.

~~~*~~~

"Inform the Soutaichou of what you found," Soi Fong commanded as her agents had reached the front of the line and knelt in respect to the aged Captain. "As you wish," spoke the man, his voice resounding peculiarly hollow, but that didn't seem all that strange to those assembled. It was well known that from an early age the special ops troops were trained to be devoid of feeling and only filled with the wish to serve their commander.

"Our mission was to look through the remains of Las Noches to ascertain the likelihood of the Hogyoku's destruction. We found indeed nothing to indicate that, other than where it was said to be kept…was nearly intact, the orb of distortion was not…destroyed."

For a moment quiet filled the room and each were lost in wondering thoughts.

_Where had it gone? _

"I see. Then it is highly likely that under Aizen Sosuke's orders, it was removed prior to the destruction of Hueco Mundo." Yamamoto seemed to read their collective minds for that was what had occurred next to them. _If no trace of lingering energy from the orb's destruction was discovered, then that meant…_

"Aizen could still…be alive?" Kurosaki said slowly.

Impact like a wave traveled over the Shinigami.

_If it turned out that way..._

"This is mere conjecture." The Soutaichou took charge immediately, darkened expressions turned his way, "when proof is displayed then we shall pass appropriate judgment. As for now…Lieutenant of sixth Division, Kuchiki Rukia and Deputy Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki, you are hereby ordered to investigate these claims. You are to leave immediately for the world of the living and waste no time in sending word to us here if you find some truth to this…now you are dismissed." Briskly he waved them off. The Captains walked single file to the doors. Soi Fong's agents hovered like shadows at her heels, attentive and dutiful…except for the smallest of glances to Lieutenant Kuchiki and Kurosaki as they went by.

_Everything was falling…_The man averted his face when Rukia shot a look over her shoulder.

_…to pieces._

Yamamoto allowed a faintly reminiscent smile to rest on his lips beneath his beard. He too, then left, closely attended to by his Lieutenant Chojiro Sasakibe.

~~~*~~~

AN: I think I misspelled a name or something…

;perfectionist, yeah right. Anyway…the plot thickens! Whoot! Reviews are always appreciated!


	4. Blindness

Blindness: Not able or willing to notice, understand or judge; disregarding evidence, sound logic etc (blind love)

~~~*~~~

A week in the world of the living had gone by. Life went on in the busy streets and shops; fewer Hollows had made their presences known in the seven days since Rukia's arrival. It seemed almost as if whoever or whatever was ordering them had given leave to silence, not willing to antagonize or alert the higher-ups in Seireitei. If they ever dropped down suddenly like September last, it was nearly assured that only defeat could come at the quick mobilization of some of Seireitei's finest.

_Not that she cared or anything_, Rukia told herself. It was just…rather boring waiting day in day out for the slightest signal from her pager or Ichigo's badge. And even if it did, which it had twice in four days, it was only an alert to a weak low-level that even a simple Kido destruction spell could've dealt with.

Frustrating as it was, nothing was more bothersome then reporting in the evening to her brother. Waiting for the moment when his smooth voice would come over the secured channel, crisply greeting his new subordinate with frosty coolness that no matter how hard she tried to emulate, only ever left her lips as an apology. "I'm sorry, C-Captain Kuchiki. I have nothing to report."

So many times she wished, even though it was most certainly wrong to think that way that something indeed would happen and she wouldn't have to put up with Ichigo's sudden quietness. Strange burning glances that sometimes would turn her way. She didn't understand any of it.

"We're friends aren't we?" Rukia felt one afternoon to demand to the sense of discomfort stealing in between the silence enveloping them. Silence that once had contained comfort without needing to speak was so very different then that which crept around them now. The reassurance she sought didn't come.

It was quiet on the other side of the room. She stole a quick peek, their eyes meeting over surreptitious looks. "Have you ever thought that maybe I want more than that?" he asked quietly; her eyebrows shot up. _He was joking, right?_

"Y-You're kidding me," dismayed at the uneven tone of her voice, Rukia frowned, setting aside her book, regretting it immediately as he did the same, facing her with a seriousness that was disconcerting as it was unusual. They had never been able to talk to one another without it ending in a shouting match. _But it can't last_, she thought to herself, _he's going to—to laugh at me call me foolish like always_.

"Do you think I would play around with something like this? What's wrong with you?"

"What? What do you mean what's _wrong with me_? What's wrong with you?" There, she thought smugly, he's sure to take offense and start a row. Again a strange look flickered through his eyes, sighing heavily, he ran his fingers tiredly through his hair; "you've been acting strange."

_You're one to talk. _

"Ever since that night. Rukia," he glanced at her again, pinning her with secret accusation, "I sensed something."

He couldn't have—

"Like what?" she uncrossed her legs, folding one beneath her on the desk chair.

"I don't rightly know," he frowned, his gaze dropping to the floor much to her relief. "But something. It felt…"

She sensed his hesitance; anxiety began to creep through her body.

"It felt like you weren't alone in there." He finished, looking up into her taut expression, "like you didn't answer me because some _thing_ was—call me crazy but what I picked up was just the barest hint of in that room was…Ulquiorra's reiatsu."

She forced herself to swallow, to act incredulous.

"B-But that's crazy! You killed him!"

"I know. Crazy isn't it?" Ichigo smiled faintly, seeming appeased by her obvious rejection to his nearly unfounded accusation. He wanted to believe her. That she knew and felt a twinge of guilt for deceiving him but it had to…be this way. He could never learn of what transpired that night, what he came so close to discovering. She was used to keeping secrets, hiding things from others. Even if it was from the person she trusted the most.

~~~*~~~

AN: what is this? IchiRuki? Certainly to a point it is; not that she isn't still waiting to see Ulquiorra again. Hence the boredom and _wishing_ something would happen. And really the titles are supposed to have double meanings; Ichigo's blindness per se is because he believes her. Rukia's would be because she's not willing to notice the fact that he's falling in love with her. So… (Blind love) all the way around. Hmph. I'm getting too wordy here. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated…Ulqui should show up again next chapter.


	5. Desire

Desire: To wish or long for; crave; covet. A thing or person desired.

~~~*~~~

His face came from the shadow, its pallor of whiteness similar to the white moon. Her hand rose and grazed his cheek, her palm sliding down the trail of colored tears. Her movement stopped at his jaw, she leaned forward closing the space between them and pressed a kiss to his sealed dark lips.

_His body stiffened, his mouth then yielding to her, parted. Her eyes closed with the consumption of the feeling possessing her. His arms went around her, clasping her body in a way of laying claim. _

_This feeling._

_Knowing._

_It was true._

_She belonged to him, body and soul._

~~~*~~~

Rukia started awake, her hand flying out as if to ward off an attack or as her fingers closed on empty air, stark disappointment at finding no one there. Dream. It was a dream…she was…she was in Ichigo's closet now that her palm met the enclosed space and traveled over the slit of the door.

She was alone.

It was all in her imagination. But why? Why had her mind focused on the feeling of those lips? That mouth traveling over her throat, the pressure and very sensation of his body pressing against her hips, her chest? Ugh. It was too much. Disgusted with herself, she grasped at the edge preparing to draw it open and then pulling back surprised when it slid open by another's hands.

"I-Ichigo?" her breath caught in her throat.

Pale white fingers appeared at the edge, the nails a dull black.

She shrank back against the wall, her eyes staring at the darkened space wherein a pale white face peered in at her.

_It couldn't be_—unnatural terror consumed her—_where was Ichigo_?!

His voice came to her through the racing fear of her heartbeat; "remember. You already belong to me." He turned away once it seemed that he was sure his message had sunk in. Without knowing what she wanted to accomplish, Rukia hurled herself at the fragile door, her hand roughly yanking it along its sliders.

Moments later her body hit the floor. Tilting her face up, she glimpsed the faintest flutter of white cloth as he gazed back down at her, smilingly, she thought.

"Ulqui—" she grunted, her side aching.

The lamp went on. Ichigo halfway sat up in bed, drowsily scowling in her direction. "Jeez, Rukia, wake up the whole—"

"—orra." Her voice died.

The bedroom door was closed.

"Wha-What did you say?" The death Strawberry seemed to awaken more from his drowse at the mention of his enemy's name. Hastily, Rukia looked away, "noth—" a shrill ring cut through her affected nonchalance. Both eyes met and then traveled to his ringing badge hanging from its cord on his bedstead. Another beep joined in emitted from her Soul pager.

Hollow.

But that didn't—

The air suddenly vibrated, dense waves like a suffocating miasma weighted them down rushing in with the suddenness of memory and the incessant beeping of badge and pager.

Rukia was almost afraid to look his way.

"Espada," he breathed, his amber eyes hardening and then glancing toward the curtained window. He didn't have to say what her senses already knew.

Ulquiorra.

He had finally come.

~*~

AN: Thanks for reading and reviews—not flames or hateful pms—are appreciated. :)


	6. Possession

Possession: the condition of being controlled by or appearing to be controlled by a supposed supernatural force or a strong emotion.

~*~

There were two of them. A caramel-skinned female with a thin braid hanging to the side of her face, the high white collar of her jacket hiding the lower half and_ him_.

Immediately Ichigo leapt into the sky, the bandages unraveling from his sword. Rukia hesitated to do the same_. The woman...by all descriptions she was the Tercera. The one Captain Hitsugaya had said he cut down_._ But_...

The woman easily evaded the clumsy strike.

_Why weren't they attacking? _Ichigo flung the black Getsuga-Tenshou, the woman looked unconcerned, merely raising her hand to release a dark blue Cero.

_He_ only watched. Piercing green eyes assessing the situation calmly, dispassionately. His hands were in the pockets of his white hakama, only one slipped out, a slight flick of his wrist indicating she should follow.

Rukia stared from her friend in the sky battling the Tercera to Ulquiorra.

_Was this just a diversion? _

He looked solely at her now, their eyes meeting, the distance between them fading until she felt as if she was drowning in the depths of his solitary gaze. Her mind screamed at her not to do this--not to fall for it, but her body seemed to have a will of its own. One that desired-longed to join him.

"Rukia?!" Far off she heard Ichigo's voice, in a way he was asking if she was crazy going after the enemy he had been barely been able to overcome. Maybe she was. Her face was expressionless, betraying nothing of the anticipation that was growing within, if it had slipped, she knew he would've become afraid. Frightened of her leaving his sight.

"Don't worry about me, baka. Haven't I told you that before?!" Her tone was light, her smirk meant to allay the apprehension he felt.

The Tercera chose this moment to increase her feigned attack, barring Ichigo from making any objection to her fighting Ulquiorra _alone_.

For show, Rukia unsheathed Sode no Shirayuki, feeling once again the pass of those impenetrable green eyes ascertaining the likelihood of her following him. "I'm coming after you, Arrancar," she said more as a reassurance then cockiness.

That seemed to satisfy Ichigo. "Take care of yourself...Rukia."

She almost forgot to respond with her usual snappy comeback; her eyes on the black-haired Espada's rapidly disappearing form. "Don't do anything stupid either." Then she went after him.

~*~

He took her far.

Rukia assumed it was because he didn't want to be disturbed while they spoke, though Gods knew exactly what they had to say to one another!

Let alone one part of her still berated her for so easily being tricked by the enemy. Allowing herself to be led so far from Ichigo and any other potential help--_just what was she thinking trusting this Arrancar?!_ Rukia was on the point of conceding to her inner qualms and turning around-when he stopped.

Glancing around as she alighted at one end, she realized this was the self-same spot where they had first met after his-well supposed demise. The water was ever clear even though tainted a faint darkness by the reflection of the fading night sky. A slight breeze stirred the grasses and her hair, Rukia lifted a hand brushing the strands from her face. "Why are you here Arrancar?" Her question shattered the stillness of the scenery and brought a level of reality back to a world where her dreams distorted the lines.

She unconsciously released a sigh she had been holding in. Now she truly saw where they stood. The enemy Arrancar on the side of the wrong and she the warrior on the side of right.

Her peace lasted only a moment.

"For you of course." Ulquiorra said, the faintest of smiles turning up the black slash across his pale countenance.

"Stop that!" her voice sounded harsh in her own ears, "this can't be--we can't be! You--"

"I am what?" he seemed to be mocking her, a particular glint flashing through his eyes. It was the most emotion she had ever seen him display.

"...dead." she finished below a whisper. The wind carried it, murmuring it to the trees, to the twilight remaining of night. It mocked her, yet she didn't become angry, only strangely drained, having declared the one thing that had weighed on her mind since she first saw his face and heard his voice.

"I-Ichigo killed you..." the statement no longer gave her comfort, only a cold, hollow feeling in her chest. "He killed you--he said so himself."

"And do you believe him?" Ulquiorra's look held a slight pensiveness to it.

"Y-yes." Surprised that he would question her faithfulness in Ichigo's veracity, she began to feel a little annoyed. "Why shouldn't I have?! Orihime said your body turned to ash, so how can I--"

"Am I only in your imagination then?"

She recognized in part her own thought process from before, "n-no--I mean I don't think--"

His Sonido was silent. One moment he was still standing a near field apart then he was right before her, the shadows long surrounding his white clad figure.

"Is this not real?" Any other words that might've come, died in her throat. His hand had risen, lying the slightest weight of fingertips against the crest of her cheekbone. Rukia's breath caught. _This was real--he was real!_ She could feel the vague definition of warmth emanating from his touch, from his body.

Her lids fluttered closed, her hands lifted from her sides to clasp at his sleeve, feeling the sharp angle of the tiny bone on his wrist, pressing the cup of his palm firmer to her face. She couldn't deny how right it felt, the closeness they stood in, nor his lips lowering to hers which she eagerly met.

The meager control she had exercised over herself fell away, the deep troubling sense within her soul eased...and she relived it again. The feeling of completion. Of being enveloped in his embrace--the embrace of her enemy. And she didn't care, falling silently against him, her vision fading.

~*~

He looked into her face, the slight pink of her moistened lips, the delicate flutter of her lashes.

_Kuchiki Rukia was the image of perfection_.

He sensed Halibel's departure. The Tercera having given him enough time to accomplish his solitary goal. Soon the trash Kurosaki would come, searching for his friend-his nakama-the one he loved.

_But when he came, she wouldn't be here_. Ulquiorra lifted her up.

_Because... she already belonged to_ **him**.

~To be continued~

AN: new UlquiRuki pic, :) the link is in my profile.

Thanks for reading :)

No flames-haters-stupid comments!

Reviews appreciated! :)


	7. Entropy

Entropy: a measure of the disorder that exists in a system.

~*~

Rukia awoke with an awareness of where she was. But strangely and disturbingly she didn't care. The cushion beneath her head was a light purple, undoubtedly he had brought them for her comfort as well knowing her fondness for that particular hue.

She turned over contentedly and sighed.

The screams outside were fading now.

Their entropic decline was ending.

She was glad of that. She didn't like to hear their fight against fate.

It was their mistake that brought this doom upon them.

The mistake of believing in their victory.

She saw it all now.

That day over almost the entirety of the Gotei Thirteen, an illusion had been cast.

When the first Espada fell-or appeared to have. They began to believe it then. _Victory_. Theirs, not the traitor's. And as one by one the copies began to show signs of weariness; the Shinigami cheered deep within their hearts. Never realizing that that was exactly what they were fighting. Faithful duplicates of the ten Espadas created by none other than the Octava, Szayel Grantz.

She knew, because she had just spoken with the pink-haired spiritual weapons' expert in the hallway outside Tenth Division. He had winked to her from behind his guise of Mayuri Kurotsuchi before knocking politely on the door to Tenth's office. Thankfully, Szayel had been nice enough to take Hitsugaya Toshiro's body elsewhere, knowing how _Uqui's girl_, as the loud Sexta had jeered to her; disliked seeing the bloodied corpses.

Rukia shuddered and drew the throw up higher from where it slipped down on her shoulder. Beneath the blanket she still wore her rumpled Shihakusho; he had promised to bring her a proper uniform, since she had refused the princess-kind like what Orihime had worn.

_By proper she hoped something even less revealing than what the Tercera wore_.

_When Tia Halibel wasn't cloaked as one of SoiFong's officers_.

It was silent now.

Her eyes closed.

The door was opening.

He had said she was the only one to know something was wrong, the only one perhaps whom hadn't had Perfect Hypnosis guiding their actions.

_The first time...the first time she had seen him, instead of seeing illusion she had glimpsed an Espada not the image he projected_.

When Ichigo had fought the second time and thought victory had been his.

And Orihime had reached toward ash.

It was all an illusion.

_You've won_.

_It's over now_.

"Rukia." His voice was quiet. A tone softer than she ever could have imagined. And despite the wrongness of it, the piece of her that remained stubborn and longed for Sode no Shirayuki to be among what was left of Seireitei to fight the battle that had been won months before; something else. Deeper. Stronger than the previous regret surfaced and overwhelmed her guilt.

...without hesitation Rukia looked up.

_She loved him_.

Ulquiorra stood in the doorway, his dark unfathomable emerald green eyes upon her.

Rukia was reminded of a very different gaze that had become filled with rage and deep hurt when she hadn't left the Espada's side.

"_Rukia!!!!" _ The voice belonged to the past.

Wiping the memory of Ichigo's face from her mind, in its place she filled in that of the faintly smiling Espada. It was a smile he only gave **her**. No one else.

She smiled, "is it over _now_?"

_And it was not in her imagination_.

~Finis~

AN: on my profile there's a link to a new pic. Check it out. ^^ thanks to everyone who supported this story. :)

No flames-haters-stupid comments!

Reviews appreciated :)


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